21 Hospital Bills From The 20th Century That Show Just How Much Prices Have Changed
Rising inflation rates have begun penetrating every part of our lives. Gas prices are up; rent is up; and, unsurprisingly in the US, hospital bills have seen a bump as well.
As many struggle to get their financial bearings, some have begun reflecting on the prices of the past and how different spending used to be, especially when it comes to the cost of healthcare. To compare, here are bills from the different decades in the 1900s and how much they'd cost today:
Note: Prices in the past have not been adjusted for inflation.
1. This person in Ohio was charged $5 for use of the operating room, which costs a minimum of $2,241 for 30 minutes at the Cleveland Clinic today.
2. This person was charged $54.75 for a six-night stay at an Indiana hospital. Today, the average insured overnight hospital stay costs about $11,700, which means this person would have been charged about $70,200.
The 1956 hospital bill from when my mom was born. 6 day hospital stay. $107.55 total. from mildlyinteresting
3. This great-grandma paid $41.78 after the death of her husband. In the US, hospital stays ending in death cost about $23,017 on average.
The bill my great grandmother had to pay to the hospital following her husband's death. from mildlyinteresting
4. This person was charged $61.60 to give birth in New York. Today, the average cost in that state is $15,619.
5. In 1947, wound dressings cost this person $2.80. Today, some brands cost $3,615.
6. An X-ray cost this family $50. Without insurance, X-rays can be between $260–$460 today.
7. This mom was charged $1,284.77 to give birth in Pennsylvania in 1981. Today, the average cost there is $19,764.
8. An operating room cost this person $15 in the '40s. Depending on the procedure, this can cost more than $100 per minute today.
9. This newborn's mom paid $5 for an anesthetic in 1955. In 2016, the average cost of an epidural was $2,123.
The hospital bill from my dad's birth in 1955. (Note the 5 day hospital stay) from mildlyinteresting
10. In the '70s, this family paid $464.70 to welcome their new member in Maryland. Today, that'd cost them $8,934.
11. This family paid $1.75 for a birth certificate, which costs between $15–$30 today.
12. This seven-day stay and delivery cost $59 total. Today, it'd be about $81,900 for a seven-day stay alone.
13. This mom was charged $10 for her newborn to stay in the hospital's nursery while she recovered. In 2017, this mom said she was charged $710 an hour for the same service.
14. In 1930, seven days in the nursery cost this babe $5.50 total.
This receipt for the hospital bill charged to my great grandmother when she had my grandfather in 1930, total cost was $38 from mildlyinteresting
15. In the '50s, this woman was charged $50 total for giving birth in Arizona. Today, the state charges about $19,093 on average.
My grandma's 1951 hospital bill for maternity services. Grand total for one live infant birth - $50 from mildlyinteresting
16. An anesthetic cost this man $10 in the '40s. Today, a local anesthetic will cost someone between $500–$3,500 on average.
17. While the person above paid $10 for an anesthetic, it looks like this person in the '50s was charged $20.
18. Delivering a baby cost this family $54 in Texas during the '50s. Today, having a baby in that state will run you about $17,738.
19. In the '50s, it cost this person $108 to have a baby in Toronto. Today, the average cost is between $5,000–$8,000 CAD.
My grandmother's hospital bill after giving birth in 1958 (Ontario, Canada, pre-government healthcare) from mildlyinteresting
